Alexander Mattison faces heinous racism from NFL fans on social media after Vikings vs Eagles game

The Minnesota Vikings star, Alexander Mattison, was charged with replacing departed veteran Dalvin Cook. After turning heads by setting a career record with five rushing touchdowns last year, he was also gearing up to establishing himself as the leading running back in Minnesota.

However, Mattison couldn’t live up to the expectations, and the Vikings went down to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday evening. Following the match, the footballer also had to pay heavy price for the loss, as some NFL netizens delivered a significant mental blow for him.

Alexander Mattison receives racist texts from NFL fans following Eagles-Vikings game

On Thursday night, Mattison took to Instagram to share screenshots of some horrible messages he received following Minnesota’s 34-28 loss to the Philly squad. The 60+ “disgustingly disrespectful” messages included not just the N-word and racial slurs, but also explicitly labeled him as stupid and urged him to commit suicide.

“I hope the 60+ people who decided to come at me with disgustingly disrespectful messages tonight in DMs and comments really reflect on WTF you say and how it could truly affect someone under my helmet. I am a human, a father, a son. This is sick.”

The 25-year-old veteran carried the ball eight times for 28 yards with a lost fumble in Minnesota’s loss, and he recorded three catches on six targets for 11 yards while dropping some passes out of the backfield. His team had four turnovers in the loss, although they made the game close late in the fourth quarter before falling to 0-2 in the regular season.

Vikings publicly addressed NFL racism on Alexander Mattison

On Friday, the Vikings shared their take on this matter as well and condemned the disgusting action saying racism should not prevail in the sports world or in society as a whole.

“We are sickened by the hatred and racial slurs directed toward Alexander Mattison following last night’s game. There simply is no room for racist words or actions in sports or society.”

The franchise showed solidarity by supporting its third-round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft and other players facing similar challenges. They also encouraged sports enthusiasts to stand against bullies and promote a positive environment for athletes.

“The Vikings will continue to fight to eliminate hate, to educate and to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community that respects and values our unique backgrounds. We stand with Alexander and all players who, unfortunately, experience this type of ignorant and prejudicial behavior, and we ask our fans to continue to fight to eliminate racism.”

CJ LaBoy, Mattison’s agent, stated that this isn’t an uncommon situation for African American players in the NFL. He mentioned that most players receive numerous offensive messages on social media but don’t always address the issue publicly. He commended the running back for taking action. The NFL also expressed strong support for the Boise State native and urged fans to demonstrate humanity towards the players.

“The NFL strongly condemns the racist comments directed towards Alexander Mattison online after last night’s game. Such hateful behavior is completely unacceptable in the NFL or anywhere else. We stand firmly with Alexander and remind fans to remember the humanity of all players and celebrate their contributions to the game we all love.”

The NFLPA also showed support for him in a post on Friday morning, and the Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said he reached out to the star on Friday to check in on him. What’s your take on this matter? Tell us in the comment section.